Warehousing and more

Loughran�s Stores Ltd is cutting a dash in the warehousing and distribution sectors, from it base in Haggardstown, Co. Louth. On a recent visit Irish Trucker discovered there is a whole lot more to this burgeoning business than warehousing and distribution.

Anthony Loughran established Loughran’s Store’s Ltd on a green-field site at Clermont Park, Haggardstown, Co. Louth back in 1979. It has been onwards and upwards for the affable entrepreneur ever since.

James Loughran keeps up to date with the paper work

He started as an agricultural merchant - selling seeds and fertilisers to farmers before buying back the crops, mainly wheat and barley, at harvest time.

His son James takes up the story. “We’d buy back the crops, dry them and store them, before selling them on at a later date to grain brokers and feed mills. The cycle would start again the following year with us selling the farmers seeds and fertilisers again.”

He: “That remained our core business right throughout the 1980s. Because of the nature of the business the stores were idle during the spring and summer.”

In the early 1990s the company set about utilising that idle storage capacity. However, it soon became apparent that only certain products would fit the bill.

“We started storing bulk products such as animal meal, fertilisers and coal, which went a long way towards filling our idle capacity. These products are traditionally stored during the spring and summer, before being distributed in the autumn and winter.”

Loughran's Stores was established on a green-field site in 1979

Changes in the agricultural market saw the company move away from grain storage and into the developing potato storage market. James recalled: “As the company developed we moved from buying grain to buying potatoes for storage. That moved us into refrigerated storage.”

Once again the company found itself with idle storage capacity during the spring and summer. Again the company rose to the challenge and sought out complementary products that had a refrigerated storage requirement.

“We now have 25,000 square foot of refrigerated storage space. We store just about anything from ice cream, to beverages and all forms of fruit and veg. The stores are suitable for a whole host of applications,” James elaborated.

With an eye to the future the company is now re-positioning itself in palletised storage sector. “We are moving into palletised storage and warehousing, while maintaining our core services,” he noted.

He continued: “”We are speaking with a number of companies with a view towards establishing a refrigerated distribution centre here. We are strategically located, just a mile off the M1 motorway, midway between the two largest cities on the island.”

Located within a stone’s throw of Dundalk, the company is confident of making the most of its prime location. “Half the population of the island lives with an hour and a half from Dundalk. That is about 2.5 million people so we are centrally located.”

Loughran’s Stores Ltd is in the unusual position of being able to offer separate storage facilities for hazardous, dry, bulk, palletised and refrigerated goods.

“We can store practically anything, because we have the various storage and handling facilities. Over the past few years, we have been getting better and better utilisation of our stores,” he affirmed.

Loughran’s Stores can also accommodate companies, who have a storage and distribution requirement. “In the past we have stored potatoes for some of the largest potato packers and crispers in the country. We look after their distribution, using sub-contracted haulage,” James remarked.

Elaine Duffy handles accounts

He continued: “Similarly we look after the storage and distribution requirements of a number of big grain brokers. Again we would use sub-contract haulage to carry out their distribution.”

In the past the company dabbled in “own account” haulage and ran articulated trucks and an assortment of trailers, but laterally it has been happy to sub-contract its haulage requirements.
Importantly the company realised its core strength lay in warehousing rather than running a haulage company.

“We found sub-contract haulage to be more cost effective. Because of the nature of the business, trucks and trailers were lying idle for long periods of time. For eight months of the year, the trucks were working flat out, but for the other four months we had nothing for them to do.”

“We are quite happy to go with sub-contract hauliers. They are the experts in their field and can do the work, more efficiently than we could do it ourselves,” he revealed.

In selecting hauliers the company uses strict criteria. “We would only use licensed hauliers, who have modern and reliable trucks and trailers. We tend to stick with the same hauliers who have given us a first class service down through the years.”

Indeed Hanlon Transport has been with us since the start.
“It is a two way process. They always oblige us, if we need a truck in a hurry. Similarly, we would always try to oblige them with a load if they were quiet for any reason. It is very much a partnership approach.”

Using a select cohort of truckers, the company can guarantee high levels of service to its own customers. “The hauliers would have a wide selection of equipment available to them, which means they can do just about anything for us.”

He continued: “They are extremely flexible, which is equally important. They can react at a moment’s notice, which means we always have access to trucks.”

While the company is acutely aware of the important role played by its hauliers, it is equally aware of the importance of its own fulltime staff of 10.
Our staff plays an integral part in the running of the company. They are customer focused and are willing to go the extra mile for the customer, which is vitally important,” James enthused.

With much of the company’s activities centring on warehousing the ability to drive a forklift truck is a pre-requisite. “We tend to employ people with forklift licenses, where we can but that isn’t always possible. If somebody hasn’t got a license, we’ll get them trained,” he added.

In an unrelated departure, following extensive market research Loughran’s Stores Ltd has developed a number of micro-units for lease. James elaborated: “It can be very difficult for somebody working out of their garage to take the next step and move into a factory. We designed the units to suit start-up and fledgling companies. The units offer a small amount of warehouse / manufacturing space and a fully kitted out office.”

The take-up up on the units has been impressive to date “We are getting a lot out interest from companies that are running small wholesale businesses. Four out of the six units have been snapped up already.”

The company has plans to further develop the micro-unit side of the business. “We are looking at building units to customers’ specific requirements. We have a 15-acre industrial zoned site here, so we can build to suit the requirements of any potential customer,” James noted.

With more than a quarter of a century of experience under its belt Loughran’s Stores Ltd looks certain to continue to capitalise on its prime location just off the M1 motorway south of Dundalk.

As Ireland’s motorway network continues to grow, Haggardstown, Dundalk is getting closer by the day!